


Renewed Attempt

by digthewriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Awkward Dates, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 02:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19416454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: Percy doesn't believe Oliver really asked him out to dinner.





	Renewed Attempt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheMightyFlynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFlynn/gifts).



> **Request/Prompt Used:** ["Awkward First Date."](https://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/654413.html?thread=2355277#t2355277)  
>  **Notes:** Unbetaed. There's a bit of angst so just be ready for it. Mention of war and people dying. Young love. Misunderstandings. Written for [](https://rarepair-shorts.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**rarepair_shorts**](https://rarepair-shorts.dreamwidth.org/) SUMMER WISH LIST FEST 2019 - Recipient: [](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=themightyflnn)[**themightyflnn**](https://www.dreamwidth.org/profile?user=themightyflnn)

Percy wasn't amused. 

"So, it happened." He looked at his reflection in the mirror and adjusted his tie. Probably for the tenth time that evening. Then he whispered, "He asked you out to dinner." 

He groaned looking at his sister who was of no help at all. She was busy writing in her quill her latest notes from her Quidditch practice and he didn't even know why she'd offer to help him get ready for his date. 

A date. He sighed to himself. There had to be a mistake. 

"It's not a mistake," Ginny said without looking up from her writing. "And your tie is fine. Your clothes are impeccable and you're going to have a good time if you _relax_." 

After the war, getting her forgiveness had been the hardest. Percy lost too much because of his damned pride and his need to impress and his well…habit of being an arse (Ron's words.) But she'd forgiven him. She'd told him it wasn't all his fault. He hadn't caused the war and she'd forgiven him for causing all that grief in his family. 

Now, she'd offer to help him get ready for his date. 

"I don't know if he actually meant _dinner_ dinner," he said for the seventeenth time. 

"What else would he have meant, Perce?" She finally looked up at him. "We were at the bookshop, he followed us around for twenty minutes, and when _I_ finally realised what he was doing and left you two alone, he asked you to dinner. Clearly, he wanted to get you alone." 

"But…we were never more than…you know…" He shrugged and then with a wave of his hand made the mirror disappear. He was done looking at himself. 

"Not everyone was shagging their roommate at Hogwarts like Dean and Seamus," she said. 

_Well…_ he thought. She didn't need to know. They hadn't shagged but…they'd been close. 

"Wait!" She jumped up from her seat—evidently having read something on his face. "Was there more?" 

"I'm going to be late," he said scowling at her and summoned his travelling cloak. "Thank you for your help—" 

"Percy, I'm going to need _details!_ " she shouted as he made his way to the Floo and left his flat.

*

Percy waited ten minutes at the bar alone before he thought about leaving. Maybe Oliver forgot. Maybe he'd changed his mind. 

"Maybe he's running late," the bartender said.

"Pardon?" Percy looked up from his drink. 

"You've glanced at the door every thirty seconds for the past ten minutes and you keep almost finishing your drink—as if you're unsure you'd like another or if you should leave." 

Percy made a non-committal sound. "I had dinner reservations," he said. 

"And he's late?" 

"How do you know he's a he?" 

The bartender look at the woman sitting next to Percy, and Percy followed his gaze. It was a beautiful woman dressed in a blue shimmering dress, her hair tied up neatly in a bun with diamonds placed elegantly at the root. She had a long, lean neck, and she was, Percy realised, more than beautiful. She was breath-taking. 

"How long has she been sitting here?" Percy whisper-asked the bartender. 

"She's been here since before you arrived, sir, and you didn't notice the way she's been looking at _you_." 

Percy rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean anything. I could be very happily in love with a woman." 

"That may be true, but, you'd still look. But…not even _once_." 

"That's hardly a very convincing argument," said Percy. 

"No, it was simply an educated guess. And I was correct, wasn't I? He's a _he_?" 

Percy was about to reply but a hand rested on his shoulder. "Who's a he?" Oliver asked, his voice booming, and it made Percy's insides shiver. _He_ was someone Percy immediately noticed. 

"I'll see if your table's ready, sir," the bartender said and he quickly left Percy alone with Oliver.

"I wasn't sure you hadn't forgotten," Percy said, turning around on his bar-stool to look at Oliver. Oliver hadn't moved from his spot so their knees brushed as Oliver looked down at Percy. 

Oliver bit his lower lip and managed to look sheepish. "Sorry, I'm late. I had trouble deciding…" Then he mumbled something Percy couldn't understand. "I didn't realise you were going to start flirting with other men as punishment." 

"I wasn't flirting," said Percy. "And I'm sorry, deciding what?" 

"This way, gentleman." The waitress smiled at them and led them to their table as Percy nodded once at the bartender before walking away. When he looked at Oliver again, Oliver was scowling. But it was quite dark in the restaurant—something to do with ambiance, Percy was certain—and he could have imagined that scowl. He still wasn't all the way sure this was a proper date. 

Percy and Oliver didn't _date_.

*

They ordered their meal and Oliver asked for a lager while Percy ordered a glass of red wine.

"Did you want to get a bottle?" Oliver asked as the waitress had started to walk away. 

"No, a glass should be sufficient." 

"Are you sure? I wouldn't mind sharing a bottle if that's what you were in the mood for. I didn't take you for a fancy wine-drinker." 

"It's not a fancy wine," Percy said, absentmindedly. "Their selections are quite substandard." 

"Well, that's good to know," the waitress said. "So are we getting a bottle or what?"

Before Percy could reply, Oliver gave the waitress a sharp look. "Why don't you go and get our bread and I'll let you know when you come back, yeah?" His tone was remarkably authoritative, and Percy was glad to be sitting down because it made his knees weak. 

The waitress quickly ran away. 

"We don't need to get a bottle." 

"Sorry I didn't realise this place was so unrefined for your palette—" 

"I didn't mean to be insulting," Percy said. "It's a very nice restaurant." 

"But not the kind you'd dine in." 

Percy chuckled feeling embarrassed. "If you really don't know about the ways I grew up, Wood, you wouldn't say that to me. I know a bit about wine, sure, but it's because I get to travel for my job. But, I'm not the type of person who would spend his time in such an establishment. I'm not _that_ anymore. I haven't been." 

"It's not what I meant—" 

Percy wanted to roll his eyes and shout but he refrained. His reply was quick and sharp, even if it was a whisper, "Just because we rubbed up against one another a few times when we were at Hogwarts doesn't mean you know me. You _don't_. And you can't come here—after all this time—accuse _me_ of flirting with the bartender or question my taste—when it was _you_ —"

"Could you blame me?" Oliver said in his defence and before they could continue their conversation, the waitress returned. 

"Have we decided what we're doing?" Her tone was congenial as if she'd had time to think better than to argue with a customer.

"I think I'm sticking to water, thanks," Percy said curtly. "I don't think I'll be staying long." 

Her eyes widened again and she ran off as quickly as the first time. 

"Back then, all you did was talk about how you wanted to become the Minister of Magic. The only time I got to see you— I mean, you only relaxed when we you know— and then—" 

"And then you took off to Rome with Paulina Glass as soon as the Hogwarts Express arrived in London; without looking back." 

"I came back." 

"Yes, sorry if I didn't think your return to the war was a romantic gesture towards me."

"I tried to write to you. You returned all my letters. Unopened."

Paulina was Percy's _off the record_ rival while they were at Hogwarts. When Oliver wasn't busy with Quidditch, she used to hang all over him. For a while, when they had their _arrangement_ , Oliver told Percy her feelings were unrequited. But it hadn't been long when Percy realised he'd been made a fool. Sure, they'd never promised each other anything but to hear the gossip from his siblings hadn't been the most ideal way of finding out. 

Soon after, Percy had dedicated _all_ of his time to the Ministry and his ambitions. Which, once again, had been another horrible judgement call.

"It was only a trip to celebrate our careers. It wasn't _romantic_ in any way, shape, or form." It was the last thing Oliver said to Percy before their food arrived. They ate quietly, and when the bill came, Percy insisted on paying for his half. 

He was up and out of his chair and almost out the door in record time. 

"Percy, wait…" Oliver grabbed Percy by his elbow and when Percy turned to have a blow out, he realised Oliver was holding his travelling cloak. 

"Oh. Thank you." He nodded once and walked out of the door. 

"Will you just _wait?_ " Oliver shouted and then Percy did stop. He turned slowly, unsure of what he was expecting. 

_Only a trip. Not romantic._

"I _loved_ you," Percy confessed. It was stupid. They were kids. They'd told each other it was simply to vent. _Let off steam_. 

Oliver closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around Percy. "Hold still, okay?"

Percy buried his face in Oliver's neck; it was what he used to do when Oliver would say those words. _Just hold still. Okay?_. 

Then, they'd Disapparated.

Oliver took them to a park and they Apparated near a pond. There were empty benches around and the area seemed to be deserted. 

"I didn't want us to pop up on the front page of the _Prophet_ before we even discussed… _us_ ," Oliver said, gesturing to the closest empty bench and Percy followed his lead and took a seat. 

"I'm sorry, I overreacted." 

"No, you didn't." 

"You can stop being kind to me now," Percy said, looking away from Oliver and to the small pond across from him. "How did you know about this place?" 

"I know it's off limits to Muggles after dark," Oliver replied shrugging. "Whenever I'm visiting London, I come here to think." 

"It's nice…" Percy said looking around again. He was avoiding all eye-contact from Oliver. No, he hadn't just had a meltdown in front of a restaurant in Diagon Alley, and no, he hadn't admitted to Oliver that he loved him. 

"When I saw you talking to that bartender, you looked so relaxed. He was smiling at you with such ease. Your entire body was…I don't know…in that conversation with him. I was extremely jealous. I've _always_ been extremely jealous. Paulina…" Oliver sighed, "she was all over me because she was trying to get _your_ attention. We both were. When we both came to terms with how we were so fucking in love with you—we became friends. I didn't do anything with her. I couldn't. I mean, I told her I'd finally managed to get a hold of you and asked you out to dinner. She was practically screaming into the Floo—" 

"I'm not that hard to get a hold of," Percy said. 

"Yes. You are."

"We were just kids." 

Oliver reached over taking Percy's hand. He laced their fingers together and squeezed. "Then, let's try to date like adults."

*

Relaxing on the sofa that wasn't his, in a flat that didn't belong to him, wasn't an easy task. Oliver poured them both Firewhisky, settling next to Percy, his knee resting warmly against Percy's thigh. 

He was _trying_ to relax. He really was, but his mind was racing a million miles a minute. Along with his heart. 

"We could always shag first and talk later," Oliver suggested laughing. 

"Not sure if I can trust you yet," replied Percy. He wasn't anything if not completely honest. 

Oliver didn't seem fazed though. "So, a kiss then?" 

Percy nodded. "Well, you do have some good ideas."


End file.
